Monaco Makes Sustainability Look Classy

Many know it for its glitzy hotels and high-rolling casino, but locals know Monaco is also a model destination in sustainability. While many destinations try to frame themselves sustainable, Monaco is such a compact nation that it actually has the ability to do it – and we’re not just talking about banning plastic straws!

New and Noteworthy: One of the newest ways Monaco is waking travelers up to the environmental impact of their visits is through a new online calculator that tracks your CO2 footprint of your trip. Rather than instill guilt, the idea is to bolster awareness for greener choices like those spearheaded by Monaco.

Commitments: Monaco is the second-smallest independent state in the world and is emerging as a leader in planet preservation. The monarch has committed to slashing the principality’s carbon emissions in half by 2030, going carbon neutral by 2050 – something that any destination worth visiting is doing these days. Monaco isn’t stopping with a pledge.

Building Greener: Looking to the future, an eco-district, the Mareterra, will open in 2025. A transformational project for Monaco, Mareterra will be a beautiful new addition to the Mediterranean coastline that embraces the ecology of both land and sea. It will be a mix of residential and recreational land that visitors will be able to experience firsthand once complete.

Experiential Changes: So what can visitors to Monaco expect? They can take advantage of expanded public transportation options including biodiesel buses, electric shuttle boats, e-bike-sharing, and an e-car-sharing system. Monaco also wants zero single-use plastic waste by 2030 – again, committing to changing to adapt to the new realities of greener travel. Single-use plastic bags were banned in 2016 and the ever-present plastic straws were booted in 2019. Single-use plates, cups, glass, and cutlery were even cut out in 2020. Conscious consumption is also present in Monaco’s culinary offerings through reducing food waste thanks to “La Petite Boite” initiative that encourages taking uneaten food with you. The Terre de Monaco is an innovative Monegasque organic urban rooftop farming project.

Winning Attention: The world is recognizing the big impact that this small country is leaving. Monte-Carlo Beach and Monte-Carlo Bay received the prestigious Green Globe Gold certification for sustainability efforts, including a preservation zone for local birds while solar panels have powered Monte-Carlo Bay for three years.

This is all just the tip of the iceberg that Monaco’s efforts are seeking to preserve as climate change challenges us all.